Beano

Inquiring minds want to know, "Does BEANO really work, or is it just another gimmick?" BEANO is a food enzyme, a dietary supplement available in most grocery store pharmacies where you find antacids and other stomach medicines. The question of BEANO's effectiveness is especially important since we've begun to appreciate the nutritional quality of food almost as much as its taste. Healthier eating emphasizes foods like beans, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, soy products, oats and even onions.

My children are grown now, but back in the late 1970s I would mix their baby formula with boiled water and put it into the plastic liners of disposable baby bottles, which I now know contain bisphenol A (BPA). My children haven't had any problems, but I am still concerned about the danger I've put them in. Is there anything they need to know to minimize their cancer risks? - Maria, Alameda, Calif. Put a hold on the guilt. At this point, for most of us, BPA is the proverbial spilled milk (but don't give your old plastic bottles to anyone you like)

Dear People`s Pharmacy: I read about Beano in your column and bought some, hoping it would solve gas problems related to my favorite foods. Luckily I read the complete label before taking it: "Allergy note: Beano is made from a safe, food-grade mold, however, persons allergic to molds or penicillin may react allergically and should avoid or use with care." Five years ago I had a reaction to ampicillin and itched all over. The doctor advised me not to use penicillin in case of a more serious reaction.

Sandra Bullock has such a winning screen presence that she dresses up any shabby old rag she appears in. She's about the only thing the lackluster Two If By Sea has going for it. The movie isn't actively bad, it's just not very funny or romantic - not good signs for a supposed romantic comedy. Comely Sandra portrays Roz, a bookstore cashier on the lam with her boyfriend, a two-bit art thief named Frank (Denis Leary, who co-wrote the screenplay). The movie opens cleverly, with the couple arguing in a car; only after we've followed their banter for a few minutes do we realize they're being chased by several police cars.

Dear People's Pharmacy: Can you settle a family feud? My husband and our 16-year-old son claim that men make more gas than women, and that is why they are always releasing it at inappropriate times and in crude ways. I am certain that women make just as much gas, but that we are more discreet about letting it out. I've seen Beano advertised, and I'm wondering if it will help. Dear Reader: You win! Flatologists (researchers who study the passing of gas) have found that "women and men expelled equivalent amounts."

Dear Dr. Donohue: As future parents, we would like to know the most important reason for circumcision. Also, will this decide the formation of the child's penis? - T.R. Dear T.R.: Throughout the world, one in seven males has been circumcised; in some cultures it is routine because of supposed hygienic advantages. Prospective parents should familiarize themselves with the pros and cons of circumcision. On the pro side, circumcision appears to reduce the numbers of urinary-tract infections in infants.

Sandra Bullock has such a winning screen presence that she dresses up any shabby old rag she appears in. She's about the only thing the lackluster Two If By Sea has going for it. The movie isn't actively bad, it's just not very funny or romantic - not good signs for a supposed romantic comedy. Comely Sandra portrays Roz, a bookstore cashier on the lam with her boyfriend, a two-bit art thief named Frank (Denis Leary, who co-wrote the screenplay). The movie opens cleverly, with the couple arguing in a car; only after we've followed their banter for a few minutes do we realize they're being chased by several police cars.

My children are grown now, but back in the late 1970s I would mix their baby formula with boiled water and put it into the plastic liners of disposable baby bottles, which I now know contain bisphenol A (BPA). My children haven't had any problems, but I am still concerned about the danger I've put them in. Is there anything they need to know to minimize their cancer risks? - Maria, Alameda, Calif. Put a hold on the guilt. At this point, for most of us, BPA is the proverbial spilled milk (but don't give your old plastic bottles to anyone you like)

Most guys just flex their sculpted abs to impress onlookers. But if you're a plain person on the new UPN reality show Amish in the City -- in which endearing Anabaptists share a stylin' L.A. house with insufferable hipsters -- you bring out your Beano stick. In the premiere episode of the reality show, we met 24-year-old Mose, a goofily gregarious Amish farmer and inventor who demonstrated a toy he made: Rubbing a propeller-topped, notched stick with a smaller stick, he said the word "Beano" to change the propeller's direction.

Dear Dr. Donohue: My little girl is in day care. I work days. Three weeks ago, I got a message to call the nurse there. My anxiety increased when I learned that my child was ill. I later was told matter-of-factly that my daughter had "hand-foot-and-mouth disease."It sounded more like an animal illness. Is it? I was told there is no cure or treatment. - Mrs. E.G. Dear Mrs. E.G.: Hand-foot-and-mouth disease is a human illness, despite that the name is much like the often-troubling hoof-and-mouth disease found among cloven-footed animals.

Dear Dr. Donohue: As future parents, we would like to know the most important reason for circumcision. Also, will this decide the formation of the child's penis? - T.R. Dear T.R.: Throughout the world, one in seven males has been circumcised; in some cultures it is routine because of supposed hygienic advantages. Prospective parents should familiarize themselves with the pros and cons of circumcision. On the pro side, circumcision appears to reduce the numbers of urinary-tract infections in infants.

Dear People's Pharmacy: Can you settle a family feud? My husband and our 16-year-old son claim that men make more gas than women, and that is why they are always releasing it at inappropriate times and in crude ways. I am certain that women make just as much gas, but that we are more discreet about letting it out. I've seen Beano advertised, and I'm wondering if it will help. Dear Reader: You win! Flatologists (researchers who study the passing of gas) have found that "women and men expelled equivalent amounts."

Inquiring minds want to know, "Does BEANO really work, or is it just another gimmick?" BEANO is a food enzyme, a dietary supplement available in most grocery store pharmacies where you find antacids and other stomach medicines. The question of BEANO's effectiveness is especially important since we've begun to appreciate the nutritional quality of food almost as much as its taste. Healthier eating emphasizes foods like beans, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, soy products, oats and even onions.

Dear People`s Pharmacy: I read about Beano in your column and bought some, hoping it would solve gas problems related to my favorite foods. Luckily I read the complete label before taking it: "Allergy note: Beano is made from a safe, food-grade mold, however, persons allergic to molds or penicillin may react allergically and should avoid or use with care." Five years ago I had a reaction to ampicillin and itched all over. The doctor advised me not to use penicillin in case of a more serious reaction.

Beans, Beans the Magical Fruit ...: We really don't need to complete that little ditty, but it says a lot about the stigma attached to beans. It's true beans can cause gastrointestinal problems because humans lack alpha-galactosidase, the enzyme necessary to digest the complex sugars, stacchyose and raffinos found in all beans. Proper soaking and cooking can rid beans of up to 90 percent of their gas-producing potential. Eating beans gradually at first (1/2 cup servings one to two times a week)

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Miami Hurricanes receiver Lamar Thomas said he believes ESPN analyst Beano Cook should get a game ball after UM`s 17-14 victory against Penn State Saturday. Cook picked Penn State to win 31-14. "Every time we broke the huddle, that`s all I was thinking: Beano...Beano... Beano," Thomas said. "I think I`m going to dedicate a game ball to Beano." PATERNO SQUAWKING NOW Last week, UM coach Dennis Erickson was irate about bad calls Atlantic Coast Conference officials made -- and failed to make -- in the `Canes 19-16 victory.